STORY OF HENRY HALE
CIVIL WAR Co A. 184th NY Infantry

Henry Hale was born in a special place called the Royal Forest of Dean, the
Hundred of St. Brivales, Gloucestershire, England in 1826.

Henry married Miriam Chivers on May 10th 1846 and they left Liverpool aboard the
ship Devonshire and arrived in New York City in Sept of 1849.

Henry and Miriam established themselves in Volney, Oswego County, New York and
raised 6 children by the time the American Civil War broke out. With 5 children
ranging in age from 2 to 14 Henry might have avoided the war but he chose to
serve, joining the 184th NY Infantry Company A. On the first day of the first
battle Henry was mortally wounded. He survived the trip home and died in less
than a month, on 14 November 1864 at the age of 38.

Fate somehow arranged that, before I learned of Henry's service, the only Civil
War battle reenactment I ever saw was the Battle of Cedar Creek where Henry was
wounded.

Henry's family followed him to America in 1851. His mother died shortly after
arriving in Volney and is buried in the same cemetery. His father remarried and
together with Henry's brothers and sisters moved on to Cook County, Ill. and
finally to Central Iowa where they were successful farmers and prominent
citizens. Several of the Hale boys were Mayor of their towns and Isaac Hale was
the first Constable of the Village of Palatine, Illinois in 1866.

Although Henry didn't survive to enjoy his children and the good life he had
helped to defend he is remembered by his family and honored for the sacrifice he
made on that battlefield far away from the ones he loved.

Jerry Hale
USN Ret., USMM Ret.
Deltona, FL
IowaGob1 AT juno.com